Ilroch Herd of Isonhound: The End of Cycle
By Rapscalia, Researcher and Scribe of the Archcrystal Tower For the Addendums to this text, see The History of the Ilroch Tribe and The Customs and Traditions of the Ilroch Tribe Preface Upon receiving this assignment, I honestly did not expect to find the Ilroch herd. Centaurs were the stuff of legends and, much like dragons, are gone from this world. Imagine my surprise when I not only stumbled upon the Ilroch herd upon stepping onto the southern shores of Isonhound, but also a herd from Pteris itself! I had, quite unwittingly, stepped into their Festival of Mielikki. Luckily, they were a friendly, welcoming bunch and I was soon sat with a mug of watered down ale watching the festival events take place. Over the course of my time with the Ilroch, I came to admire not just their strength and ingenuity, but their inner hamony. There are societies few and far inbetween which can claim a (without any factual proof) two hundred year peace not only with their neighbors and within their herd, but with the land as well. I have come to believe that this may be the most well sustained life style currently known to scholars. That is, as long as it is not interrupted by others. The loss of the Ilroch herd is the loss of a part Mielikki herself. -Rapscalia, Year 9 History Before this one, there had yet to be a written history of the Ilroch herd. Their belief in growth and incessant change as well as their migratory nature, leads them to orally pass down lessons shaped as stories, rather than read from a dusty tomb. The most common stories of the Ilroch tribe include Lith the Crispy Centaur, and Raumo, the rash. Unfortunately, this tradition has lead to loss of the details of much of the Ilroch herd's past. It is possible that some has been recorded by outsiders, such other roaming fey, or even another Illumian scholar (such as myself), but such a recording has yet to be discovered. However, the Ilroch remained above ground during the Age of Dragons due to their ungainly size. Therefore, much of what transpired in those years is likely lost to the ages outside of the Ilroch tales. At the end of the age of dragons, winter had set upon the world and the Ilroch were first spotted near what is now Glendoveer, holding to their migratory pattern. This placed them south, near Pteris at the start of the Realm War, so they remained safely away from most fighting during that year. I joined them there, during their quad-annual festival of Mielikki, which occurs at the start of every spring. Once spring set in and we began their trek north, we were severely hindered by the ever-expanding Woldin. Avoiding elvish territories and settlements became increasingly difficult as the year passed and this caused some disgruntlement among the herd ranks. In response, they elected Cuara, an expert archer, as well as Fallaner, a healer, and Kora, a level headed leader, to the their council, replacing three younger, greener herd members. Come summer, they were truly in the thick of not only Woldin territory, but also the Elf war. At this point, they were asked by Woldin to join their ranks and the council turned this decision over to the herd. After two tense nights, the vote was cast 25 to 17 and they did not join. Whether this was the downfall of the herd, or whether their fate had previously been set is yet to be determined, but it only got worse from here on out. The summer turned out to be cool one, but the winter following was the worst recorded in recent history. Even moving south towards Glendoveer, we could not escape the icy grip of the north and it was said the permafrost extended to every beach of Isonhound. Woldin and Glendoveer managed to thrive through trade, but mainly through magical farming techniques they developed. Without any livable land, the herd was forced to begin heavily trading with Glendoveer to support themselves. Eventually, a Glendoveeran elf which the herd called Edhelli joined as a traveler. She began to teach a few of the centaurs how to use this agricultural magic, and two others, Tua and Kemen, soon joined as well. The move south in the spring was better, and worse. Woldin had vastly expanded in the past years, making their normal migration route impassable. Additionally, any new route North would put us straight through the war zone. On the other hoof, the Festival of Meilikki lead to the development of a new kind of fighting style that blended their inherent arcana and archery skills. Hesitant to stay in the south during the harsh summer, the council decided to move the herd North again along a new route. Unfortunately, this put us in the middle of a horrific battle that, to this day, spans the entire continent. To their credit, a heated council debate ended in the decision to use their druidic healing magic to aid anyone who asks for it, but to harm anyone who harmed them. Their new arcane archery skills saved us many times in the coming year, but in the end, was another piece in the puzzle of their downfall. News of not only their improved archery, but also of their Glendoveeran travelers soon got back to Woldin. Having turned them down once before, Woldin decided the Ilroch herd was no longer worth the risk. On a crisp autumnal evening, a strike of between 50 and 100 well-trained Woldin warriors blindsided the camp. Taken completely by surprise, many were slain instantly, and many more in the minutes after. Edhelli and I had taken to sharing a tent, and were only able to escape by riding on the back of Cuara and her daughter, Roha. Cuara, a master archer, was able to carry us away safely from the camp. Come dawn, I returned and found 29 centaurs dead. Accounting for Roha and Cuara, that leaves eleven centaurs and Tuar missing. We spent the next month searching for survivors, but found none. Eventually, we returned Edhelli to her home in Glendoveer and I saw Cuara and Roha off on a refugee boat to Champerty. What has become of those herd members or those missing, I do not know. Society The Council The Ilroch are lead by a council made of herd members from all walks of life. They keep track of food, as well as forest, and herd health, among other things. What they are most respected for, however, is the assessment of potential Ilroch members. This includes the responsibility for the Naming Ceremony and the Guardian Assignment. There are 7 council members at any given time and these members can be changed at any moment by herd vote. If a herd member would like to remove a councilor, then they must also have a new appointee ready. When the vote occurs, it is for the replacement of the old councilor with the new appointee. If the vote fails, the old councilor remains. Should a councilor become unable to complete their duties (such as sickness or death), then the herd member who asked for their appointment will work in their stead until a new appointee is voted upon. Herd Membership Anyone accepted by the herd may travel with the it, as I did. This does not mean, however, that the traveler is a member. Even colts and foals born to the Ilroch are not considered members. In order to become a member, a traveler must be assigned a guardian by the council at the beginning of Winter during the Guardian Assignment. Only the council decides what makes a traveler ready for assignment and the criteria change with the mindset of the herd and council. In recent years, the unspoken criteria have included characteristics such as willingness to join the herd, curiosity, potential for harmony, and the beginnings of inner strength. These criteria allow travelers of any age, race, and gender to be selected for Guardian Assignment. Under close watch and careful training with their Guardian, travelers may spend as much time as they need as a potential herd member. Some may spend one and a half migration cycles with their guardian, and some have been known to spend as many as nine. This time is spent in many ways. The travelers are trained by their parents in herd arts, such as archery and druidic healing. Should a traveler not have herd parents, it falls upon the Guardian to fill this role. Otherwise, the Guardian is also in charge of the personal growth of the traveler. Each traveler walks their own path, so each Guardian's role varies. Some may spend years learning the plants and animals of the forest, while others may spend their days practicing new languages and traveling the courts of Isonhound. No matter the traveler's path, it is the Guardian's duty to ensure that it leads to the betterment of the herd. Once a Guardian sees their appointed traveler as ready for herd membership, they nominate them during the next Festival of Mielikki for Naming. Once this occurs, the traveler may act as a herd member for one season. The council spends this time assessing them and how they interact with the herd. If they are deemed ready, they will be Named in the Fall at the Naming Ceremony and accepted as a member of the herd. Weaving Weaving of the hair is a surprisingly central part of Ilroch custom. There is no universal structure, or symbolism to what they call their 'Weaves of Fate' other than that they are a form of recording one's major life events. A Fate Weave is very rarely made by the centaur who wears it. Oftentimes, it is simply impractical because of the length of their hair, and the distance to their hindquarters. More importantly, however, braiding another's hair is a symbol of unity. Close friends may weave another's hair after a great battle, an adventure, mutual discovery, or another similar bonding event. A parent will weave their child's hair upon completion of the Guardian Assignment, and a Guardian will weave an appointees hair upon completion of the Naming Ceremony. Even when two centaurs mate, they weave one another's hair in a very intimate ceremony never attended by travelers and outsiders. Therefore, a loose tell of societal importance among the Ilroch is the number of Fate Weaves they wear. If they have many, it is likely they are a well-respected member of the herd, but if they are older and with few Fate Weaves then the opposite may be true. It is said that the greatest insult any Ilroch can give to another is to cut of a Fate Weave woven by the other. It is supposedly the ultimate symbol of an emotional schism between two herd members, although the practice exists only in legend as far as I am aware. Religion The Ilroch herd bends no knee to any God, but does respect Mielikki and Obad-Hai as the rulers of Nature and as their creators. Whether these two gods truly created the centaur race is yet to be seen. The Fesitval of Mielikki To the Ilroch, Mielikki is the stem of life and supports new growth in their forests and herd. Lasting three days, the festival in her honor and likeness celebrates change and new life. It takes place on the Northern most banks of Isonhound where they meet their Breme allies. The only requirement for festival attendance is that herd members must bring something new. This can be a work of their craft, a piece of art they fashioned, a new piece of information on a distant land, a found artifact, or even simply a new way of thinking or idea that had not been considered before. These items and ideas are then presented to the herds one by one at a central campfire where the knowledge is shared on the last day of the festival. This serves the purpose of encouraging inventiveness while remembering the story of Lith and Nuara and, more practically, making sure knowledge is not lost with a single member. The Festival of Obad-Hai Obad-Hai represents incessant change and the surety of death. A single member may die, but the herd will always live on. For Ilroch centaurs, herd strength and harmony is thus of utmost importance and the Obad-Hai festival is a celebration of just that. The festival takes place on the banks of Isonhound which are closest to Pteris and the herd from Pteris sails the narrow straight to join the Ilroch. On the last day of the Festival of Mielikki, the herd gathers and brainstorms in preparation for this festival. Aside from the typical feats of strength, archery, etc. the herd must bring a presentation of some sort to the Festival of Obad-Hai to present to their Pteran allies. In years past, herds have been known to combine their knowledge and abilities to weave an entire boat out of grasses, invent the equivalent of a portable hospital, and other outlandish feats. Every year, they attribute their successes only to the herd as a whole and their combined strength. Migration Being migratory creatures, the centaurs of Ilroch follow a four year migratory pattern to match the changing seasons of Isonhound. The pattern matches the sketch at the top as follows: Summer During the warmest season on Isonhound (although it could hardly be called summer), the permafrost melts in the northernmost region, allowing the Ilroch to travel there meet with their Bremelandan brothers and sisters in the last days of Spring. However, on the first day of Summer, the two herds split once more as the Ilroch tribe turns their focus to their travels. The Naming Ceremony takes place at the end of this stage as herd members are accepted into Ilroch society. Fall During this transitional stage, the Ilroch turn southward once again as the northern land begins to deep freeze once more. During this period, the land can no longer sustain wild creatures or plants, but the large bears, elk, and short scrub. This forces the herd to move toward more forgiving ground during the coolest season on Isonhound. During this transitional season, food can be gathered from both the coniferous and deciduous forests they pass through on their way toward Pteris and unity becomes key to the herd's mentality. During the last days fo the season, this meeting corresponds to the Festival of Obad-Hai as fall ends. This part of their migration is a time of beginnings for the herd and is dubbed by humans their 'new year'. Winter Winter for the centaurs is a time for personal growth. Guardians are assigned in the Winter to new herd members, and older members take this time to train and hone their crafts. It is not unusual to see one or two centaurs in Glendoveer, or Woldin during this period. Some are seeking out masters of their craft to train under. Others, during especially bad winters, go to trade for food and items which they cannot reap from their surroundings. Spring The training of the winter pays off during the spring as the herd begins to move North once more during the wettest season. Here, the herd can find fish, game, and plant growth abundant in the soft soil near the sea. The end of this part of their migration also corresponds to the Festival of Mielikki during the meeting of the Ilroch and their Bremeland allies. See Also * Roha * Woldlin * Glendoveer * History of the Ilroch Tribe